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Presidential Election

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Central Electoral Commission official results of the elections of the Republic President.

85.12% voted for Bako Sahakian.

12.5% voted for NKR Deputy FM Masis Mailian.

The rest of the nominees received much less votes.

Thus, the NKR people have elected their third President - Bako Sahakian in the first round of voting.

Foreign observers and journalists accredited at the elections have ascertained both high activeness of the voters and transparency of the NKR presidential elections.

Biography

Bako Sahakian was born on August 30, 1960, in the city of Stepanakert.

1977 - Graduated from Stepanakert secondary school N1.

1978-1980 - Served at the Soviet Army.

1981 - Employed at the Stepanakert Industrial-Mechanized Integrated Plant N9 as a metalworker and mechanical engineer. In a year he was transferred to Stepanakert Integrated Plant on Building Materials as a worker on the stone's breaking up.

1983-1987 - Worked as a foreman-restorer at the Stepanakert branch of the scientific department on the restoration of ancient monuments.

1987-1990 - Worked at the regional administration on supply as a supplier.

Since 1988 Bako Sahakian has become known as an activist of Artsakh Movement.

1997-1999 - Assistant to RA Minister for Home Affairs and National Security

1999-2001 - NKR Minister for Home Affairs Since

2001 - Head of NKR State Department of National Security - Director of NKR NS

Has been awarded an order "Fighting Cross" of the first degree, "Sparapet Vazgen Sargsian" and RF order "Peter the Great" of the first degree, the medal "For the Services to the Motherland"
of the first degree and other medals.

Bako Sahakian is a member of RF Academy on Security, Defense and Legality.

He graduated from the Department of Law at Artsakh State University.

Bako Sahakian is married; he has two children.

Karabakh Leader Sworn In For Another Term

Sep. 7, 2017
Hovannes Movsisian

Bako Sahakian, Nagorno-Karabakh’s president, was sworn for in for another term on Thursday almost two months after local lawmakers voted to extend his decade-long rule.

Sahakian, 57, was reelected after serving two consecutive five-year terms. He was not allowed to stay in power longer before Karabakh enacted a new constitution in a referendum held in February.

The new constitution calls for the Armenian-populated region’s transition by 2020 to a fully presidential system of government which will lead to the abolition of the post of prime minister. The authorities in Stepanakert say this change will put Karabakh in a better position to cope with the unresolved conflict with Azerbaijan. Their opponents maintain, however, Sahakian is simply keen to cling to power.

Sahakian will continue governing Karabakh as an interim president until 2020. His candidacy for that post was backed in July by 28 of the 33 members of the Karabakh parliament representing three political parties allied to him.

Sahakian pledged to implement democratic reforms, strengthen Karabakh’s security and ensure continued economic growth of the local economy in his speech at an inauguration ceremony held in Stepanakert. “We are going to do everything to protect the honor and dignity of the Armenian people,” he declared.

The Karabakh leader again did not clarify whether he will run in the next presidential election due in 2020.

Vitaly Balasanian, the secretary of Karabakh’s presidential Security Council, suggested in July that Sahakian is unlikely to seek another reelection in 2020.

A retired army general, Balasanian was the main opposition candidate in Karabakh’s last presidential ballot held in 2012.